How to Restore Doll Hair

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Dolls go through a lot, and so does their hair. After being played with for hours, days, or even years, how do you fix their frizzy and tangled hair? The doll hair restoration process is very simple and can be done at home. By using things like fabric softener, a comb, and some patience, your doll's hair will look shiny and new.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Softening the Hair

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  1. Restoring your doll's hair will be easier if you remove the clothes first. You don't want to have to worry about clothes getting wet or damaged by the brush.
  2. This will be the mixture that you'll use to soak your doll's hair. Once you've mixed the warm water and fabric softener together, you can either put it in a small bowl that will fit your doll's head, or you can pour it into a spray bottle.
    • The spray bottle tends to be the easiest way to apply the mixture.
    • Make sure the water isn't too hot so that it doesn't destroy the hair fibers. If the water burns your fingers when you touch it, it's too hot. [1]
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  3. If you're using a bowl, soak your doll's hair in the water and fabric softener. If you're using a spray bottle, spray the mixture onto the hair, making sure it's sufficiently wet. Make sure you cover the entire head and don't leave out any sections of hair.
    • Let the hair soak for roughly 5 minutes.
  4. If you don't have fabric softener, you can use conditioner to soften your doll's hair before brushing. Wet the doll's hair with warm water and simply massage in a small dab of conditioner evenly throughout the hair. [2]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Fixing the Tangles

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  1. Using a small wire hair brush or a metal tooth comb, gently brush your doll's hair whether it's curly or straight. It's important to brush from the bottom up, starting at the ends and moving towards the scalp. If you brush down from the scalp, you could accidentally pull out the hair. Brush until the hair is completely detangled. [3]
    • If you don't have a wire hair brush or metal tooth comb, a normal plastic brush will work.
    • If some parts of the hair become dry while you're brushing, use the spray bottle to dampen them again.
  2. After the hair has been combed, rinse out the fabric softener mixture with water. Try to do this as thoroughly as possible to avoid residue from forming.
    • If you need to remove residue from the fabric softener, try rinsing the hair out with a mixture of half water and half distilled white vinegar. [4]
  3. By cutting up pieces of a paper towel, you can use them to help shape your doll's hair. Wrap the damp hair in a paper towel and press down firmly to make the hair flat. The paper towel should help the hair stay straight and tame while it's drying. [5]
  4. While the doll's hair may dry faster than this, it's best to wait 24 hours to ensure the hair is completely dry. Removing the paper towel and playing with the doll before its hair is dry may cause it to dry awkwardly. [6]
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Styling Curls

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  1. If you need to restore curly hair, cut up a straw into pieces to make curlers. Make sure the straw pieces will be able to hold an entire strand of hair wrapped around it. Cutting the straw into thirds or fourths is a good place to start. [7]
    • If you have a larger doll, try using small plastic perm rods. These can be bought at a beauty store or online.
  2. After your doll's hair has been combed and is still damp, take a small section of hair and wrap it around the straw. You should continue wrapping the hair all the way up to the scalp.
    • If you want your doll's hair to have waves, use a larger section of hair when wrapping.
    • When wrapping, you want the hair to be damp but not soaking wet. If you need to remove excess moisture, blot the hair with a paper towel.
  3. Once you've wrapped the hair around the straw all the way up to the scalp, secure it in place with a bobby pin. Simply fasten the bobby pin to the inside of the straw and it should remain in place. Continue wrapping and securing the rest of the hair in sections. [8]
  4. Curled hair will take longer to dry than straight hair. Wait at least 24 hours before taking out the bobby pins and straws.
    • Feeling the individual sections of hair with your fingers will help you decide if the hair is dry or not.
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      Tips

      • The type of synthetic hair — curly or straight — that your doll came with is how it should be restored. Straight hair isn't going to be able to curl very well, and curly hair won't become straight.
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        Helpful 14 Not Helpful 2
      • If the eyes of your doll aren't painted on, consider covering them with tape before washing your doll's hair to prevent them from being damaged.
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        Helpful 8 Not Helpful 2

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • I also wrap a damp paper towel around the doll's damp, combed-straight hair, and set her in direct sunlight. The heat helps to set the hair as it dries. This method works very well for Barbie & similar dolls.
      • After setting your doll's hair with straws, dip the head into a pot of just boiled water. Do it quickly! Then, let dry completely. Since the hair is plastic, this is a permanent fix.
      • When doing dolls hair, don't brush too harshly as it can cause your doll's hair to weaken. If you keep on doing it, then your doll will lose hair.
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      Warnings

      • Avoid brushing dry doll hair to restore it. If your doll's hair is frizzy or damaged, trying to simply brush it will only make it more frizzy.
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        Helpful 28 Not Helpful 4
      • Synthetic doll hair can melt, so don't use heat on it such as a hair straightener or curler. [9]
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        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Be very careful if styling human doll hair because it's much more fragile than synthetic hair. [10]
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      Things You'll Need

      • Fabric softener
      • Spray bottle or small bowl
      • Paper towels
      • Wire hair brush or metal tooth comb
      • Scissors (for curling)
      • Straws (for curling)
      • Bobby pins (for curling)

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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about caring for doll hair, check out our in-depth interview with Raymond Chiu .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=462qinLztbw
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=462qinLztbw
      3. ↑ http://www.prillycharmin.com/restore/1hair_cleaning.htm
      4. ↑ https://www.lilblueboo.com/2013/07/how-to-detangle-doll-hair-tutorial.html
      5. ↑ https://www.lilblueboo.com/2013/07/how-to-detangle-doll-hair-tutorial.html
      6. ↑ http://www.prillycharmin.com/restore/1hair_cleaning.htm
      7. ↑ http://www.prillycharmin.com/restore/1hair_cleaning.htm
      8. ↑ http://www.prillycharmin.com/restore/1hair_cleaning.htm
      9. ↑ https://www.hairfinder.com/info/doll-hair-restyling.htm
      1. ↑ https://www.hairfinder.com/info/doll-hair-restyling.htm

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Doll hair can become frizzy and tangled after being played with, but luckily you can easily restore it right at home using some fabric softener. First, mix 2 cups of warm water with 2 tablespoons of fabric softener in a small bowl or spray bottle. Soak or spray the doll’s hair with the mixture, making sure to cover the entire head. Let the hair soak in the solution for 5 minutes. If you don’t have fabric softener, massage a small dab of conditioner into your doll’s wet hair instead. Once your doll’s hair has been softened, use a small wire hairbrush or a metal tooth comb to gently brush its hair. Brush from the bottom up, starting at the ends and moving towards the scalp. After you’re done brushing, rinse out the fabric softener mixture with water. Cut up pieces of a paper towel and wrap it around the damp hair to help flatten it. Leave the towel on the doll’s hair for 24 hours to make sure it’s completely dry. To learn how to curl your doll’s hair, keep reading!

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Brooke S.

        Nov 11, 2023

        "I had a few porcelain dolls stored away and after getting them unpacked a few years later their hair was matted and ..." more
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